There has been a slight decline in the number of corncrakes recorded on the wetlands along the Shannon this year, according to BirdWatch Ireland.
Researchers working on the flooded meadowlands between Portumna and Athlone, where the birds breed every summer, counted a total of 65 calling males.
This is five fewer birds than in the previous breeding season, according to Ann-Marie McDevitt, the Corncrake Project Officer who is based at Crank House, Banagher, Co Offaly.
"The number of birds in this important breeding area dropped to their lowest point in the early 1970s but when a project to encourage and protect them was put in, the numbers stabilised at 54 birds in the years 1996 and 1997. "The numbers climbed last year to 70 but show a small decline this year to 65, but we regard this as very healthy and progress," she said.
Ms McDevitt said BirdWatch Ireland was delighted that the number of corncrakes had increased and noted a count of 74 calling males in Donegal and 16 in Mayo.
"This means that there is a slight increase in the number of corncrakes recorded in Ireland this year. It has gone up from 151 in 1998 to 155 this year," she said.
She said she was convinced that grants paid to 160 farmers along the callows in the midlands, to encourage corncrake-friendly farming, had contributed to the stabilisation of corncrake numbers.
Ms McDevitt said corncrake numbers had continued to stabilise in areas where these methods were put in place, not only along the Shannon.
Farmers are paid not to cut their riverside meadows until after August 1st when nesting has finished. They also receive money for cutting their meadows from the centre out, which provides cover for the chicks during harvesting.
The corncrakes normally hatch two broods of chicks and the second chicks are normally born in the first week in August. They are able to avoid the mowing machines if the proper method of mowing is carried out.
There was further good news for the corncrake in the midlands this week when a planning application to build 54 houses at Big Meadow, Athlone, was turned down by the planning authority.
Building the houses would have required draining some of the land where five corncrakes bred this year. According to Ms McDevitt this represents a significant proportion of the Shannon callows and the national corncrake population.
The application was also opposed by Duchas, the Heritage Service; An Taisce, the Irish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which helps fund the corncrake project on the callows.
It is not possible to create new habitat for corncrakes which are genetically programmed to return to the same place they were born. They will not move to new pasture to breed.